Palm Beach County teams make moves in international youth soccer tournament

Gary Curreri/Correspondent

Wellington’s Joshua Swanzy, right, of the Wellington SC Dynamo, battles Mason Linsky of the Parkland Soccer Club (2008) in the Under-9 Boys Silver Division title game in the 10th annual Palm Beach International Cup. Swanzy scored twice for Wellington, but Parkland won, 3-2.

Wellington’s Joshua Swanzy, right, of the Wellington SC Dynamo, battles Mason Linsky of the Parkland Soccer Club (2008) in the Under-9 Boys Silver Division title game in the 10th annual Palm Beach International Cup. Swanzy scored twice for Wellington, but Parkland won, 3-2.

Wellington Soccer Club Dynamo coach Greg Payne enters his Boys Under-9 team in tournaments looking for experience, not the ultimate prize of a trophy.

"I am not worried about the points and trophies," said Payne, who is in his third year with the club and played professionally in Guatemala. "I just want them to play. If they learn to play at 9, when they get to 15, 16 and 17-year-olds and they get in front of college coaches, then they are playing the right way.

"The problem sometimes is that we overemphasize the trophies and don't teach them to play," Payne added. "Overall I am happy with the boys. They have done surprisingly well."

Trophy disinterest notwithstanding, Payne's team came close to the prize in the 10th annual Palm Beach International Cup. The boys lost to the Parkland Soccer Club, 3-2, to finish second in the Boys Under-9 Division.

Wellington's Joshua Swanzy, 8, scored both goals in the defeat. The third-grader at Atlantic Christian Academy has played soccer for three years.

"I like passing and having fun," Swanzy said. "It's really important to do well in a tournament. You also get to learn from your mistakes so you can do better."

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Teammate Sergio Chavez, 8, also of Wellington, a second-grader at Renaissance Charter School, said soccer is his favorite sport.

"We play as a team," Chavez said. "It is too much fun."

"The trophies are not that important because it is more important to have fun," said West Palm Beach's John Hernandez, 8, a Montessori second-grader. "Soccer is really fun because you can score and take the ball away from people."

Palm Beach County was well-represented at the tournament, as seven teams brought home the gold. Team Boca led the charge with four squads winning championships.

The Team Boca 2008 White defeated Parkland, 3-2, for the Under-9 girls title. Adrianna Gonzalez (2) and Maddie Kunz scored in the win. Mary Slade Hartofilis led the team with six goals in the tournament.

"I am very proud of how much our girls developed this year as both individuals and a team," said Team Boca coach Kristy Hartofilis, who starred at Duke University and was elected into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. The Under-9 girls squad finished the season 22-0-2. "They learned what it means to be a team and they all contributed to our undefeated season."

Team Boca 2003 Boys won the Under-14 showcase title. Team Boca 2001 Boys White took the Under-16 Gold title with a 3-0 victory over Pembroke Pines Optimist. Team Boca 1999 Boys White won the Under-18/19 Gold title with a 7-2 victory over Okeeheelee Heat Raptors.

The Wellington Soccer Club came home with two wins — Wellington SC 2007 City won the Boys Under-10 Silver, while Wellington SC 2006 Seattle won the Girls Under-11 Gold Showcase. Boynton Beach Knights Under-15 Black won the Girls 15-Under Gold Showcase.

The Palm Beach Cup featured 210 teams, more than 4,000 athletes and more than 8,000 visitors from across Florida, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Haiti, making this one of the largest youth soccer tournaments in South Florida this year. The boys and girls squads ranged in age from Under-9 through Under-19.

"Given that this year's tournament was our biggest ever, the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches couldn't have opened at a better time," Walker said. "This brand-new venue took our event to another level of excellence. Along with our excitement about the quality of fields, we're thrilled to be part of this historic moment for sports in Palm Beach County."

Walker said the tournament provides good competition and is a family event.

"There are nice restaurants in the area and great fields," Walker said. "We have begun to add international teams, and that elevates the tournament."

The teams in each division competed for the Matt DeOrsey Trophy, named in memory of the tournament's first director. DeOrsey died of an epileptic seizure two days before his 31st birthday. His son, Remi, competed in the U-10 division at this year's tournament.